


His Steady Right Hand

by thricepiercedpirate



Category: One Piece
Genre: Attempted Seduction, Friends to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Sex, M/M, Sexual Inexperience, Sexual Tension, Threats of Rape/Non-Con
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 13:03:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15461982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thricepiercedpirate/pseuds/thricepiercedpirate
Summary: Luffy and Zoro unexpectedly end up in the wrong place at the right time.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for zolu week 2018; prompts used were "adventure" and "firsts"

_How the HELL do we always get caught up in these messes_ , Zoro groans to himself, ignoring the urge to slump forward and bury his face in his arms because he doesn't dare take his eyes off the dark-haired, cheerfully beaming pirate beside him. Not for a goddamn second, not the way he's attracted the attention of what seems like three-quarters of the bar's patrons, who are currently vying for HIS attention by offering to buy him drinks or whatever else he'd like off the menu. Or, in quite a few cases, just straight-up ordering it delivered to him.

The more intuitive of Luffy's admirers have picked up on his lack of interest in alcohol and switched to plying him with food, but there's still a ridiculous number of tankards and shot glasses and even a few wine glasses cluttering the table, and the poor bastard assigned to serving their corner of the room is looking increasingly harried. Not least because he's forced to weave his way through a small crowd every time he returns, and Zoro's seriously debating leaving the guy a sizable tip even though he and his captain have barely ordered anything. They haven't NEEDED to- given Luffy's instant popularity the moment he strolled through the door.

He's not sure if the younger man's recognized all these offers as the romantic- or, several obvious cases, blatantly sexual- overtures they obviously are, but at least his oblivious friendliness towards everybody hitting on him means nobody's gotten offended and there haven't been any fistfights. At least not yet, anyway.

In all honesty, Zoro's sort of tempted to punch HIMSELF for not taking a closer look at the sign outside. Not that it would've necessarily done any good trying to talk Luffy into going elsewhere anyway. He'd been following his nose, too intrigued by the aromatic scent of cooking food. And Zoro- well, of course, he'd been following Luffy, and it hadn't been until they were halfway through the establishment that it occurred to the former bounty hunter that not just the bartender and all the bar patrons were men but so were all the people waiting tables, and the waiters' attire- or, rather, their lack of sufficient attire- had made it pretty damn clear what sort of place they'd entered.

It's not the first time Zoro's been inside a gay bar - far from the first time, in fact, thanks to Johnny and Yosaku, who'd insisted he join them upon discovering he shared their affinity for swords beyond the steel variety - but he'd be a lot more comfortable if he'd come in here by himself. Because having to sit here hoping he doesn't pop an involuntary boner in front of Luffy at the sight of their waiter's extremely nice-looking ass shimmying in those too-tight leather pants AND being forced to sit here watching Luffy get hit on by practically every guy in sight is flustering and frustrating the hell out of him. Even though he's well aware that being jealous of the men openingly flirting with his captain is pretty pointless when he's not sure if Luffy's into the whole dating and relationships and sex thing AT ALL, let alone interested in-

"Oi, Zoro, do you want this one too?"

The swordsman blinks, realizing he's been staring vacantly at a glass Luffy's holding out to him. "Ah- sorry, Sencho." He takes it, casting a brief skeptical glance down at its lurid orange contents and the razor-thin slices of citrus fruit floating on top. "… what the hell is it?"

"I dunno," his captain laughs. "He said I'd think it'd taste good even though I don't like booze, but it doesn't really matter. Zoro can have it. Booze is more his thing than mine."

"He? Who said? The waiter?" He's frowning, trying to recall if he saw the waiter before the drink he's now eyeing even more suspiciously appeared in Luffy's hand.

"Nah, some guy from-" The rubber man's craning his neck, trying to peer across the room. "-uh, some table over there."

Zoro looks where he's poking and spots somebody staring back, who- upon meeting his gaze- immediately begins making exaggerated motions towards Luffy. Obviously displeased and wanting Zoro to pass the drink back. The guy's surely at least twice the younger pirate's age. "That asshole over there, huh?" He glares at the asshole in question, not bothering to hide his anger and disgust and unable to prevent a slight snarl from entering his voice when he sets the full glass down untouched with a rough thump that sends the liquid inside sloshing over the rim and tells Luffy, "Sencho, DON'T drink or eat anything unless the waiter hands it to you himself, okay?"

"Eh? Why not?"

"These guys- or most of these guys- are probably okay… but- better safe than sorry, y'know." He's not sure how much he ought to elaborate on the subject since he doesn't want to freak Luffy out unnecessarily, so he settles for, "… it's just… well, there's some fuckin' weirdos out there 'n you don't wanna drink something that'll make you sick. So be careful, alright?"

"Oh. Okay!"

Zoro tries not to grimace. He should've guessed Luffy would dismiss the warning as irrelevant, some boring nonsense that he'll deal with by pummeling into submission anyone foolish enough to hassle him, should an altercation arise. And in a fair fight, it'd be no contest- but of course the sort of people who slip sedatives into drinks aren't exactly interested in fighting fair.  _Get your ass drugged 'n you might find yourself waking up in some stranger's bed with a killer headache, a sore ass, and a huge blank stretch when you try'n remember what happened the night before. If you're lucky, that is, 'n don't just end up dumped in an alley with your throat cut_.

Nothing Zoro's ever encountered personally, but he's tended to err on the side of caution ever since the time Johnny quietly confessed to experiencing a frightenly close call that probably would've gone very badly if Yosaku hadn't been watching his back. So he knows that kind of shit happens- and that women aren't the only victims.

He also knows it's likely he's worrying over nothing; the odds of anyone tampering with a drink in this well-lit, well-maintained place are probably pretty low, especially with him sitting here scowling like an overprotective gargoyle and since Luffy's only interested in the food anyway, but he can't help being concerned.  _Sencho's just too damn TRUSTING when it comes to anybody willing to FEED him. Like that time on the island with all the cacti, when the Baroque Works people first came after us_. He shoots another nasty scowl at the guy on the other side of room and feels smug satisfaction when his captain's would-be suitor blanches and looks quickly away.  _Good. Now just keep minding your own damn business 'til I can get him OUT OF HERE_.

He's fiddling with an empty shot glass and watching the more persistent of Luffy's admirers attempting- unsuccessfully- to catch and hold his interest, unsure whether he's more amused by how hard they're trying to impress someone who doesn't care enough to remember any of their names correctly five minutes after hearing them or if he's more pissed off they're even trying in the first place, when a hand settles lightly on his shoulder.

Annoyed at being touched without his permission, he whirls in his seat ready to unleash a biting rebuke- that dies on his lips when he sees their waiter standing over him, looking strangely anxious but determined. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpses Luffy pausing mid-sentence to look too, ignoring the aggravated expression of the guy who'd just succeeded in catching his attention. Probably wondering, the same as Zoro, if one or both of them have been recognized from their wanted posters. Or if the joint's owner has simply ordered them thrown out because he doesn't buy Luffy's repeated insistence that yeah, he really IS seventeen despite having what several of the older patrons keep referring to- much to Zoro's discomfort, given the badly concealed leer one of them had given the others- as a "baby face."

Instead of demanding they vacate the premises, however, the waiter drops into the empty chair beside Zoro and- after a quick glance towards the bartender to ensure he's looking elsewhere, occupied with mixing drinks- says quietly, "… my- uh- my shift ends in ten minutes…" Then, after a long pause. "… and my place is only a few minutes' walk from here."

It takes Zoro several moments of wondering why the man thinks he'd care about either of these pieces of information before he realizes he's being propositioned, but when the lightbulb finally goes on inside his head, he feels his stomach perform a quick backwards flip of excitement. He's drawn lots of curious looks in bars just like this one and gotten his ass grabbed more than twice in a few seedier venues, but nobody's ever expressed more than a passing interest in taking him home. Probably because he'd clung to Johnny and Yosaku like a socially inept limpet, too overwhelmed by the noise and the sheer flirtatiousness of the other patrons to spend much time talking to anybody besides them.  _But this guy seems pretty fuckin' serious 'n he's pretty cute 'n he looks pretty close to my age 'n- holy shit, maybe I could actually get la_ -

"Sorry, but we were just getting ready to leave!" Luffy interrupts from across the table. "C'mon, Zoro, pay 'im 'n let's go!" He's smiling but there's a distinctly odd note in his voice.

"I could- I could have your crewman back in an hour or two," the waiter assures him earnestly, eyeing Zoro with a hunger that simultaneously startles the swordsman badly enough for heat to start creeping up his neck and face AND causes his pulse to thump harder in his throat with rising anticipation. "… I mean… you obviously have plenty of company here, so it wouldn't be that long a wait."

Shit. Zoro's sense of excitement, momentarily buoyed by the knowledge that somebody's interested in him- in HIM, rapidly deflates. His body's a little slower to respond, but no matter how worked up he's gotten himself thinking about what this guy might be willing to do for him- or TO him- in bed, there's absolutely no goddamn way he's leaving Luffy here by himself while he runs out to get his rocks off with some stranger. He coughs, giving the waiter what he hopes is a neutral smile. "Sorry, man, but you heard my captain. So if you could just bring us the check, we'll-"

The man's hand darts forward to catch his wrist. "Hey- no- at least let me buy you a drink or something, alright?"

"Oi, look- I don't-"

"C'mon, I SAW you staring at me every time I came by the table. We both know you want me to take you back to my place and fuck you senseless."

Zoro can't lie; he's fantasized about finding a partner who's willing to indulge his interests in power play, someone he trusts who'll order him around a bit and get a little rough when the mood's right. But coming from a stranger who's also displaying such an obvious lack of respect for his personal space, it's far more pushy and obnoxious than sexy, and that rather effectively smothers any thoughts he might've been entertaining about returning to the bar alone tomorrow afternoon.

Somebody like THIS- somebody who's grabbing at him like he's the last slab of sea king meat on the plate while ignoring everything coming out of his mouth- is definitely NOT someone he intends to drop his trousers for- especially when his experience with this stuff doesn't amount to much more than some awkward kisses and mutual groping between him and his bounty hunting friends on a few occasions when all three of them had been drinking pretty heavily.

 _Maybe this bastard picked up on that. Saw me oogling his ass 'n figured I'd be too flattered to turn him down. Just an easy lay_.

The polite smile dropping from his face, he's about to tell the guy to get that fucking hand off him unless he wants to lose it, but before his lips can even begin parting to utter the threat, Luffy's lunging full-length across the table to smack the waiter's hand away from his wrist with a stinging slap, growling, "Zoro told you NO, so you better let go of him, NOW."

His tone's so full of raw fury that most of the men surrounding him take a few hasty step backwards, and several even exchange awkward glances and slip away from the table entirely, not wanting to find themselves inadverently drawn into the confrontation in the event it turns physically violent.

Zoro starts to protest that he's perfectly capable of handling the situation on his own, but he's silenced by something in Luffy's outraged expression when the rubber man continues to glower at the waiter as though he'd like to dump the untouched drink still sitting on the table over the guy's head. Something that he's not entirely certain how to interpret. Something that he doesn't quite dare trying to interpret, in case he's wrong.

"No means NO," Luffy continues, bristling. "Don't you dare touch him again! Don't even LOOK at him." His fingers, curled into claws on the tabletop, twitch closed. Balling his hands into fists. "Zoro's MINE."

Staring at the younger pirate's anger-contorted face, eyes slightly widened and his own mouth hanging uselessly open while he struggles to work out what exactly this remark might mean, Zoro's so stunned that he barely registers the waiter's next words, spoken in a tone that's at once taunting yet somehow also entirely serious. Likely a deliberate ploy, so the man can claim he's simply joking should anyone take offense.

"Then maybe I should've been talking to you in the first place. Everything's got a price, captain, so how much for an hour with your-?"

Luffy flings out a fist, punching the waiter square in the face and sending him flying backwards across the room, forcing alarmed bar patrons to scatter in all directions to avoid airborne chairs and overturning tables. He's already got one sandal-clad foot set on their own table, preparing to climb over it and go after the guy, when Zoro snaps back to reality and seizes him by a handful of fabric at the collar of his vest to drag him under one arm.

The green-haired man's cursing repeatedly under his breath as he slams a random selection of beli down on the table with the opposite hand, sending coins rolling off the edge and bouncing across the floor. He tightens his grip on his captain's struggling, protesting form and bolts for the door, hoping that it'll be taken into consideration that they PAID before leaving and they're not going to find themselves abruptly accosted by the local authorities or- god forbid- some actual goddamn MARINES before they get more than a few streets away.


	2. Chapter 2

Luffy's still fuming, kicking and flailing and yelling his head off beneath Zoro's arm when the swordsman detours into an alley several blocks from the bar they'd exited at a flat-out run. Well, the bar Zoro had exited at a flat-out run, anyway. With Luffy held tightly in his grasp, positively adamant about heading back inside to continue kicking the waiter's ass.

The moment he's set back on his feet, in fact, he immediately tries to stomp out from between the buildings where they've stopped, right back in the same direction from where they've come.

"Sencho, just let it go," Zoro tells the rubber man for what he swears feels like the hundredth time. "You already clobbered the guy, probably hard enough to break his nose. So unless you're planning to actually KILL him, there's no point in going back."

"He wanted to BUY you," Luffy huffs, turning and stalking a few stiff-legged steps in the opposite direction when he realizes his path's blocked. "-for- for SEX."

"More like rent me, 'n he MIGHT'VE been joking, but- yeah, basically."

His captain promptly explodes, whirling to face him. "Zoro's NOT FOR SALE! Or for- for RENT either. He's-"

"-yours?" Zoro ventures cautiously while raising one eyebrow. He can't help himself; he wants- he NEEDS- to know what was going through Luffy's head at that moment. What prompted him to say something so recklessly proprietary.

Luffy responds by flushing a truly alarming shade of crimson, face lit up like a ripe tomato bathed in direct sunlight. "I- I was just-" He makes a helpless sort of flailing gesture with one hand, almost as though he's urging the right words to materialize in the air beside him so he can grab and hurl them in Zoro's direction, and starts pacing back and forth in extreme agitation. "You were just SITTING there, STARING at him! I didn't know what else to-"

He abruptly stops dead in his tracks, staring at the older pirate, eyes slowly widening. "… wait… wait- Zoro, did you-" His fingers twitch, his hands curling into fists at his sides but just as quickly flexing open again so he can tug nervously at the hem of his vest. "Did you WANT to? I mean, did you actually wanna… go with that guy?"

It's on the tip of Zoro's tongue to tell him "of course not, you dumbass" but- he doesn't want to lie. Not to Luffy, not even about something as awkward and embarrassingly personal as this. Still, it takes a moment before he can admit haltingly, "At first, yeah… I sort of did. A little, at least." The corner of his mouth twitches. "But I changed my mind pretty damn quick when he started acting like a friggin' jackass."

Luffy considers this in silence, continuing to fidget with his clothing, plucking at a stray thread he's located at the lowest buttonhole.

"A-Anyway, thanks for- uh- for clocking him." The swordsman runs the fingers of one hand through his hair, scratching lightly at his scalp near the base of his skull. "I was gonna tell him off, at least, but you sorta- heh, beat me to it."

"… does-" Luffy pauses and swallows, hard. "Does Zoro do that a lot? Go home with guys 'n-" He's worked the thread loose enough to start winding it around the first joint of his index finger. "… do… stuff." The string snags and he pulls absentmindedly at it. "… THAT kind of stuff. Sex stuff."

"Well, I-"

Luffy's hand jerks in response to his voice, and the string the captain's been fiddling with snaps under the sudden extraneous force, sending the button formerly secured to his vest sailing. It hits the cobblestones between them, bounces a few times, and then rolls to a hard stop against the toe of Zoro's boot.

He stoops to retrieve it, glad for the opportunity to break eye contact and gather his thoughts for a few seconds.  _God, I don't think Sencho realizes how damn INTENSE he looks sometimes. Not that it's necessary a bad thing- it's just- holy shit, it's really hard to figure out what to say with him staring at me like that_ …

When he straightens with the button cradled loosely in his cupped hand, Luffy's gaze is averted, those fierce eyes peering down at his empty buttonhole and the length of string he's unwrapped from his forefinger to dangle by one end, and Zoro's forced to bite the inside of his lower lip to prevent himself from snorting out loud at the expression of surprised chagrin on his face.

"Somebody'll hafta sew it back on when we get back to the ship," he says when he's sure he can speak without laughing. "Maybe you better let me do it, though. Nami'll charge you an arm 'n leg."

Luffy makes a little noncommittal "mmm" noise, looking up as he approaches, and he's startled to see consternation and dread flickering in the rubber man's eyes.

 _Does the thought of me hooking up with another guy really bother him that much? Or- is it me hooking up with somebody in general? Could he actually be jealous? Not OF ME- 'cause I know he didn't give a flying fuck about the waiter- or about any of those guys who were being flirty with him either- but- jealous of THAT GUY? Could that be why he got so mad_? Aware he's more than likely setting himself up for disappointment daring to seriously contemplate the idea that Luffy might be interested in him as more than a crew mate and nakama.

He's tried so damn hard to ignore his own feelings regarding their relationship, after all, because Luffy's so- well, it's not that he's innocent or naive or even clueless about sex or intimacy or dating. Those things just- don't seem to factor into what makes Luffy LUFFY. And while Zoro can't do a whole hell of a lot about his dreams- beyond deriving a certain measure of extremely guilty pleasure from their contents- actively fantasizing about being in bed with his captain has been something he's avoided as much as possible. It's always felt too weird- too WRONG- given Luffy's apparent lack of sensuality.

To have one of the LEAST lascivious people he's ever met suddenly addressing HIS sexual drive- and not simply acknowledging its existence but also asking questions about his preferences- is… disconcerting. Not necessarily SURPRISING, since Luffy's never been hesitant to discuss other potentially sensitive topics regarding bodily functions; for example, Nami's pretty well given up asking him to stop loudly announcing when he needs to use the ship's head. But disconcerting? Definitely.

"I've gone to places like that- where guys hook up with other guys, for sex or whatever- a bunch of times with Johnny 'n Yosaku," he admits- and holds up a cautioning hand when he sees Luffy tense. "-but I've- I've never gone home with somebody. Or anywhere else, either." Seeing the question forming on the younger pirate's lips, he forges ahead despite the sudden flare of warmth in his face. "I've never actually- uh- y'know- gone all the way- before. Not with anyone."

Luffy's chewing his bottom lip, looking slighty relieved but no less nervous. He stops long enough to say quietly, "I- I wondered if- maybe one of those guys was, like, your- I mean, the first to-" His fingers have been picking at his vest's empty buttonhole, fumbling anxiouslywith the fabric, and when one of them inadvertently slips through it and gets stuck there, his face goes positively scarlet at the accidental innuendo.

"N-Nah, not- not like that…" Zoro tries not to stare, although his throat's abruptly too dry and too tight and his pulse thumping dangerously fast in his chest and- worse- his groin. He's pretty sure he's going to have an aneurysm on the spot if he ends up becoming visibly aroused while they're having this conversation. "Johnny was the first person I ever kissed, if that- means anything, since we were both drunk 'n… well, there was some- umm- touchy-feely stuff a few times when we were ALL drunk 'n super, super horny. But nobody ever-" He makes a strangled involuntary noise that he guesses is supposed to be laughter. "-stuck anything- in anybody- anywhere."

Having extricated his obscenely jutting finger, Luffy's resumed staring at him.

"What about- what about you? Have you ever-?"

His captain shakes his head slowly, while casually attempting to strangle the hem of his vest with both hands.

Zoro didn't think so, but- eh, he figured there wasn't much harm in asking. Heaven knows Luffy's proved him wrong about shit before- although truthfully he would've been pretty shocked had Luffy responded with anything but a negative.

He takes one hesitant step forward and then another, offering the rubber man his hand with the loose button cradled in it. "Oi... do you wanna hang onto this? Or should I?"

"Oh. Yeah, I guess I could just- put it in my pocket 'til we get-" The moment his fingertips brush the swordsman's palm, Luffy stops to stare at their hands touching, the button he was reaching completely forgotten.

"Sencho?" Zoro asks. "Is everything alright?"

Luffy takes a deep, shaky breath and looks up into his face, hand settling more firmly into his. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." He gives a tentative little squeeze. "I was just- sorta wondering about-" Biting briefly at his lower lip and trying to smile, although that hint of concern never leaves his eyes. "… what it's like to- y'know- to kiss somebody. Since Zoro's already done it, I thought maybe he could tell me- or-" His thumb twitches, then strokes lightly against the heel of Zoro's hand. Only once- one single tiny movement- but a deliberate caress given the obvious wariness that's stolen into his expression.

"Are you- asking me to kiss you?"

"Yeah, I- I think so. But only if you really wanna," Luffy warns him. "It's not an order, 'cause I'm not like that guy. I don't wanna be ANYTHING like that guy. He was a jerk!"

Slowly, giving his captain the opportunity to pull away should he change his mind, Zoro shifts his hand, adjusting his grip so their fingers are intertwined and their palms are pressed flush with the cool metal of the button trapped between them. "Luffy, you're- you're nothing at all like that guy. 'N you're-" He takes a half-step forward, closing the distance between them. "… you wouldn't- you COULDN'T- be just a- a one night stand sort of thing for me either, if anything ever-"

Luffy's free hand closes in the loose fabric of his t-shirt to draw him steadily nearer.

"I don't know how it'd work- I mean, since you're the captain 'n I'm just-" He's startled to realize he's shaking a little, not just excited by the proximity of the other man's body but nervous as well. Knowing this is changing everything between them, straying into wholely unfamiliar territory. "You're MY captain 'n- aren't there, like, rules or something against stuff like this?" Playing devil's advocate even as his own free hand reaches for Luffy's hip, trembling despite his best efforts to hide his agitation.

Luffy gives a snort of laughter, looking immensely relieved to know he's not the only one with no real idea of what he's doing. "What rules? We're PIRATES- it's not like we're gonna get in trouble or anything. At least not more than we already are, anyway."

"Yeah, but- what about the rest of the crew? N-Nami 'n Usopp 'n-?"

"I don't wanna kiss either of them. Or Vivi or Chopper. Or Sanji. Does Zoro wanna kiss Sanji?"

"Oh fuck no- I-"

The gap between them's rapidly shrinking as Luffy snickers and god, if Zoro doesn't love the sound of that ridiculous little "nee-hee" and the next thing he knows, their noses and chins are bumping as their lips meet and it's awkward as hell until they figure out that one of them needs to tilt his head slightly to fit their mouths together properly but it's also somehow entirely RIGHT.

"Huh," Luffy remarks after they've finally drawn apart- rather reluctantly. "I… LIKE kissing Zoro. I bet we'd get a lot better at it too, if we did it a lot more." Flushing as though he hadn't meant to voice that thought aloud.

"Yeah. This isn't exactly how I imagined it," Zoro says without thinking, and then it's his turn to redden with embarrassment, although he can't deny it's more than worth the big smile spreading across his partner's face. "K-Kissing you in an alley, I mean." He nearly lifts a hand to rub sheepishly at his warm face but then doesn't, because that would mean relinquishing Luffy's hand or letting go of his waist, and- well, he really doesn't want to do either. "Not- uh- I didn't mean-"

Thankfully, the younger pirate looks more amused than offended. "You imagined us doin' stuff besides kissing? Like- sex stuff?" He laughs again when Zoro grimaces and nods reluctantly. "It's okay. I think about the cuddly kinda stuff way more, like kissing 'n holding hands 'n things people might think are really dumb, but-" He ducks his head as the color begins deepening once more across his cheeks. "I- uh- I can't say I didn't- y'know- think about THAT too, once in a while."

"… the other stuff's not dumb," Zoro tells him quietly. "Those're just…" He hesitates so long that Luffy looks back up, curious to see what's troubling him. "… those're things people do when they like being together, right? 'N they wanna let each know how happy it makes 'em…" He raises their joined hands, studying the way their fingers are intertwined. "… 'n maybe let other people know too..." Grinning a bit. "Can't really do that with sex, unless you wanna give everybody a show."

"Sex is already weird enough to think about doin' WITHOUT worryin' 'bout people WATCHIN' you do it," Luffy exclaims, looking slightly aghast. "If I decide I wanna do THAT sorta stuff with Zoro, I don't want anybody there but him."

"Same," the swordsman agrees automatically- only to falter as he realizes Luffy's eyes have widened slightly, already solid grip on his hand squeezing even tighter. "Uh- hang on. Does- does this mean we're-?"

"… mean we're, what?"

"… together? A thing? Dating?" He pauses. "… boyfriends?"

Luffy considers this, eyes returning to their clasped hands. "If we get to do this all the time 'n kiss more- a lot more- 'n snuggle 'n-" He lifts his gaze to meet Zoro's again and it's full of excitement. "Yeah- yeah, I want all of that! Can we do that? Can we be those things?"

Zoro's heart gives an extra hard THUMP within his rib cage, his breath caught in his throat. His stomach's not flipping maniacally like when he was contemplating sex with the now-forgotten waiter- it's fluttering, with excitement far, far stronger than anything he's ever experienced before, and his voice is husky and wavering when he says, "I- yeah, I'd- I'd actually really like that…" Unable to supply anything more intelligent, because the enormous smile his words have prompted renders him speechless.

He leans in slowly as Luffy's hand on his chest tugs at the fabric bunched inside it to reel him forward for another kiss. Soft at first, but quickly growing firmer and more confident, until Luffy's laughing against his mouth between moist presses of their lips, and Zoro himself's grinning, nearly dropping his captain's wayward button in the process of releasing his hand and throwing that arm around his neck and shoulders to pull him closer. And for a little while, nothing- not the alley around them, not the bar they've just vacated, and not even their absent nakama- nothing else matters.


End file.
